Identity of Longmont boy confirmed by New Mexico medical investigator

Body recovered from Quemado Lake on Wednesday

By Pierrette J. Shields Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
07/05/2013 01:32:45 PM MDT

Updated:
07/05/2013 07:58:38 PM MDT

LONGMONT -- The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator confirmed on Friday that two bodies recovered Wednesday from a lake in New Mexico were those of a Longmont teen and a friend who went missing days before.

Noah Hooper, whose 15th birthday would have been on Monday, was reported missing Sunday after he and his friend Seth Stephenson, 16, of Chaparral, N.M., failed to return as scheduled from an outing at Quemado Lake near Quemado, N.M., about 150 miles southwest of Albuquerque. Ahlberg Funeral Chapel is handling service arrangements for Noah, who was a student at Alexander Dawson School in Lafayette.

Noah's parents, Kevin and Nadine Hooper, traveled to New Mexico on Monday, police reported. Through funeral director Randy Ahlberg, Kevin Hooper said he would like to wait a while longer before speaking publicly about his son. The family owns and operates Lamplighter Cleaners on the 1600 block of Main Street.

The state police deferred official identification of the boys to the medical investigator's office due to the condition of the bodies after they were recovered from the 6-acre lake that ranges in depth from 3 to 16 feet, according to a news release. Cause and manner of death are pending further investigation, according to Keri Ashburn, unit assistant with the medical investigator's office.

Both boys were assisting with summer programs at the Apache Creek Deaf and Youth Ranch, according to the New Mexico State Police. The boys -- neither of whom were deaf -- were bused with other campers to the lake at about 3 p.m. Sunday and were last seen near the deep end of the lake at about 4:30 p.m.

Children at the lake were scheduled to meet at the lake's ramp area at 5 p.m., but neither Noah nor Seth reported as scheduled. They were reported missing five hours later, police reported.

The report sparked a search that ended Wednesday when rescue divers recovered two bodies from the bottom of the lake in the west end, where water depths reach 14 feet, police reported.

A spokesman for the New Mexico State Police was unavailable to comment Friday about the status of any investigation into the boys' deaths.

"These were fine young men that were volunteering to help others here at the camp," said a message posted Wednesday on the ranch's Facebook page. "Seth loved the horses and has been a huge help the entire summer with that area. Noah had been looking forward to coming since February. He was so excited to be here."

The Facebook statement said that news reports included inaccuracies, but did not specify the problems with reports. Dozens commented offering prayers.